9 to 12 months before
- Agree dates for each function with both families.
- Set a total budget and a rough split. See our budget guide.
- Draft a guest list per function; numbers drive most costs.
- Book venues for the large functions. See our venue guide.
- Decide which functions happen at home.
6 to 9 months before
- Book the caterer and photographer.
- Book your decorator or wedding planner.
- Plan the engagement if it hasn't happened yet.
4 to 6 months before
- Order outfits and jewellery.
- Book the makeup and henna artists.
- Plan each function's colours, stage and seating.
- Book dhol, DJ or qawwals.
2 to 3 months before
- Order invitation cards.
- Finalise menus, ideally with a tasting.
- Approve decor designs and book house lighting.
- Plan schedules around the 10 pm cut-off and one-dish rule. See our Lahore event planning guide.
One month before
- Confirm final guest numbers with caterers and venues.
- Write a schedule for each function: arrival, rasm, food, photos, rukhsati.
- Confirm every supplier in writing.
- Arrange transport for the couple and elderly guests.
The final week
- Settle payments due.
- Confirm setup times with each venue and supplier.
- Share the schedule with the family members helping each day.
- Pack an emergency kit: safety pins, sewing kit, medicines, chargers.
Wedding planning checklist, function by function
- Dholki and mayun: floor seating, dholak, ubtan, lighting.
- Mehndi: stage or swing, thaals, dance floor, music, henna artist.
- Nikkah: nikah khwan, nikah nama, witnesses, agreed mehr, ID documents your registrar asks for.
- Barat: venue, stage, arrival time, food service, rukhsati.
- Walima: reception seating and a receiving line.
What families often forget
- Power backup for home and farmhouse functions
- Parking and directions for guests
- Seating for elders at floor-seating functions
- A rain or cold-weather plan for outdoor events
- Food for drivers, helpers and photographers
A month-by-month wedding planning checklist
Pakistani weddings are planned over months, not weeks. This timeline works for most families in Lahore; move it earlier if your dates fall in the winter season.
- Six months or more before: fix the dates, the number of functions and a guest count for each. Set the overall budget and book the venues.
- Four to five months before: book the caterer, photographer and decorator or planner. Decide which functions happen at home.
- Two to three months before: finalise the look for each function, order invitations and confirm sound, lighting and transport.
- One month before: confirm guest numbers, the menu and the schedule for each day. Share the schedule with every supplier.
- Final week: settle payments, confirm setup times with each venue and give one person the job of keeping time on each day.
Keeping the budget in check
The guest count drives most of the cost, so agree it early and stick to it. Decide which function matters most to your family and spend more there, then keep the others simpler. Our budget calculator shows how much each choice moves the total, and a wedding planner can help keep suppliers to their quotes.